April 22, 2020 The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is putting enormous and unprecedented strain on our entire population and placing new and significant pressures on our fragile system of healthcare and social services, and our once mighty economy. And while no one is immune from COVID-19, the data is clear that seniors and people with underlying chronic… Read more »
Learn about Gary and Mary West Foundation’s role in the first-of-its-kind venture, which is focused on improving hospitals’ access to low-cost generic pharmaceuticals.
Take action to address these risks and positively impact seniors
Every May, the Administration for Community Living leads our nation’s observance of Older Americans Month. The 2019 theme, Connect, Create, Contribute, encourages older adults and their communities to: Connect with friends, family, and services that support participation. Create by engaging in activities that promote learning, health, and personal enrichment. Contribute time, talent, and life experience to benefit others. Communities… Read more »
By Amy Herr and Amy Berman After Phyllis Benning, 66, suffered several strokes that left her unable to walk, she thought she might spend the rest of her life in a nursing home. She was able return to her home—and walk again—with the help of a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE®)… Read more »
By Liane Wardlow | Wednesday, September 19, 2018 We can probably all agree that no one wants to experience an acute medical event. However, they’re simply a part of life — particularly for seniors who often live with multiple chronic medical conditions, which can, from time-to-time, escalate into an acute situation needing immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, seniors… Read more »
September 12, 2018 West Health Contributors: Brenda Schmitthenner, MPA, Jessa K. Engelberg, PhD, Andrea M. Morris, PhD, MPH, Amy Herr MHS, Kai Oliver-Kurtin, Cheryl Hassoldt Malnutrition disproportionally affects seniors, with up to 1 out of every 2 at risk for malnutrition, and disease-associated malnutrition in seniors is estimated to cost $51.3 billion annually. Aligned with… Read more »
June 29, 2018 | Candace Robinson and Amy Herr Fact Currently, more than half (51 percent) of individuals aged 75 and older live alone. The risk of death for people who are socially isolated is as great as the risk of death for people who smoke 15 cigarettes a day, according to a study… Read more »
June 29, 2018 | Capital Impact Partners and West Health Fact For the first time in U.S. history, older adults are projected to outnumber children by 2035. Increasing life expectancy, a declining birth rate, and the aging of the baby boom generation will dramatically increase the number and proportion of the U.S. population over… Read more »
By Michelle Herman Soper, MHS and Leah Smith and Debra Lipson State Medicaid programs are beginning to adopt value-based payment (VBP) models to reward value — or high quality, cost-effective care — for the long-term services and supports (LTSS) they provide to beneficiaries. Medicaid managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) programs — which operate in more than 20… Read more »
